About This Blog

Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) was the greatest economist of my time. His greatest works can be accessed here at no charge.

Mises believed that property, freedom and peace are and should be the hallmarks of a satisfying and prosperous society. I agree. Mises proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the prospect for general and individual prosperity is maximized, indeed, is only possible, if the principle of private property reigns supreme. What's yours is yours. What's mine is mine. When the line between yours and mine is smudged, the door to conflict opens. Without freedom (individual liberty of action) the principle of private property is neutered and the free market, which is the child of property and freedom and the mother of prosperity and satisfaction, cannot exist. Peace is the goal of a prosperous and satisfying society of free individuals, not peace which is purchased by submission to the enemies of property and freedom, but peace which results from the unyielding defense of these principles against all who challenge them.

In this blog I measure American society against the metrics of property, freedom and peace.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Forget About The 1% vs The 99%. What's Really Destroying This County Is The Damn 40%!

According to today's Drudge Report the Washington Post has conducted a new poll. I don't usually pay attention to polls, but this one is revealing.

The article in the Post "underscores that the gulf between Republicans and Democrats has never been wider," pointing out the different factions that exist in both parties. For instance, there are Tea Party Republicans (Rand Paul) and "Pro-government conservative" Republicans (George W. Bush); there are "Urban Liberal" Democrats (Nancy Pelosi) and "Agnostic Left" Democrats (Bill Clinton). This isn't the revealing part.

CNSnews does a better job explaining the significance of the poll:
The poll asked: "Would you say you favor a smaller federal government with fewer services, or larger federal government with many services?"

Among all those polled, 55 percent said they wanted a smaller federal government and 40 percent said they wanted a larger federal government.

Among just the registered voters in the poll, 58 percent said they wanted a smaller federal government and 37 percent said they wanted a larger federal government.
I don't know about you, but these results blow my mind! I'm not surprised that over 50% of Americans (whether Democrat, Republican or Independent) wants "a smaller federal government with fewer services." What blows my mind is that about 40% of Americans wants "a larger federal government with many services!"

That's depressing.

The CNS article has more:
The poll also asked: "Do you personally agree or disagree with the following statement. Government controls too much of our daily lives."

Among all those polled, 60 percents said they agreed and 39 percent said they disagreed. Among just the registered voters in the survey, the results were almost identical, with 60 percent saying they agreed and 38 percent saying they disagreed.
Again, about 40% of Americans -- regardless of political party affiliation -- disagreed with the statement that "government controls too much of our daily lives!"

This is more than depressing. It's revolting! It makes me want to vomit!

I had always thought the current social and political battle in this country was between collectivists and individualists. But I guess I didn't truly appreciate that there were so many collectivists.

MEMO TO THE 40%:
What is wrong with you? Are you ignorant? Stupid? Brain-dead? Pure
evil? Or is it that you just can't read a stupid poll question?

You say you want a larger government that provides more services and that controls more of more of your daily life.

Government already educates you, pays you a pension, buys you food stamps, builds you roads and bridges, pays you when you're unemployed, picks up your garbage, puts out your fires, polices your roads, makes your workplace safe, ethnically diverse and sexually and racially equitable, provides water, food, clothes and shelter during natural disasters, loans you money for college, safeguards you from domestic terrorism by X-raying your luggage and your children, frisking your wife, reading your emails, listening to your cell phone calls and spying on your whereabouts. Government enforces the law, prosecutes criminals, impanels juries, employs judges, imprisons 2.3-million Americans, forecasts the weather, warns you about sex offenders, inspects your meat, regulates the airwaves, tests your medicine, your cars, your children's toys, your food and water, subsidizes your food suppliers, builds you national parks and forests, conducts controlled burns of these forests, keeps your wages above minimum and your hours below 41, licenses your car, your driving, your fishing, your flying, your doctors, your pharmacists, your taxi cab drivers, your hair dressers and your contractors, tells you what you can drink, what you can smoke, where you can smoke, when you can smoke, what pills you can swallow, what, where and when you can hunt, who you can marry, where, what and how you can build, what gas you can burn, what guns you can own, what light bulbs you can buy, what money you must use, what taxes you must pay, what speed you must drive, what mileage you must get, and what labels you must make. Government  runs your buses, your trains, your car factory, your airports, your air traffic controllers, your post office, your subways, stadiums, public bathrooms and your military, cleans your air and filters your water, regulates your gas, your oil, your stocks, your bonds, your mortgages, your small business, your large business, your successes, your failures, your bankruptcies, your bankers, your bakers and your candlestick makers...and is about to provide you health insurance and health care.

What the hell other services and controls do you want the government to provide and impose?  

8 comments:

LD Jackson said...

I never cease to be amazed at the number of people who want government to grow larger and control more of our lives. They should all read your list and realize just how intrusive the government already is.

How much more government do we need before we realize how it is changing our country?

Sherman Broder said...

40% is a big, big number. I can't wrap my mind around it. How the heck do the rest of us turn this around?

John Galt said...

When I see those poll numbers that have Obama with a 46% approval rating I ask myself the same question: what are these 46% thinking".
My conclusion: they are thinking of money, free money, no taxes, food stamps, and all the give-away's galore that they get.


PD. I jumped through hoops to place this comment. My suggestion: dump Disqus and get "Intense Debates" from WordPress. They have a very easy download and instructions of how to put it into Blogger. I use it and I have Blogger.

Jim said...

Guys, I am surprised that you all are surprised. Consider the "average ability to think" and then come to terms with the fact that half the people are below average thinkers. Look at the situation here in Venezuela where 80% of the people can barely read and write; but they can vote. Democracys are dangerous and our republic is becoming a deomocracy.

Sherman Broder said...

John,
First of all, I'll look into switching the comment engine to WordPress. I just won't have the time to get it done immediately. Thanks for the suggestion. My initial switch to Disqus was motivated by your suggestion, so I appreciate your continued interest. Disqus does seem to have some advantages.

As for the "give-away's" incentive you mentioned, I agree that it's partly that. But I think it's more. I just can't put my finger on it. It may well be simple ignorance of economics and classical liberal political philosophy.

Sherman Broder said...

I think that explains a lot. On the other hand, this is not Venezuela. The US has a 200 year history of individualism, liberty, property and Christianity, more specifically Calvinism. I think I'm surprised because it's hard to believe these traditions have lost influence with the current population as greatly as they have.

It could be this evil 40% is not due so much to individual ignorance, or our give-away welfare state as to a breakdown in our "American" culture, i.e., our religious traditions, our traditions of fraternal institutions and "small town" communities. I have to believe most of this 40% resides in large, urban areas where "American" culture and tradition is weak or doesn't exist at all.

Jim said...

I agree with your assesment of where the 40% live. Yes, we have over 200 years of histiry gut the last sixty years have sixty years, the liberals have controlled our education system and have brainwashed three generations of Americans.

Sherman Broder said...

That, unfortunately, is the undeniable fact and may be the common denominator to it all.